Friendly Fetish
by feonixqueen
Summary: What happens when Chad Yasutora comes “face to face” with his deepest, darkest secret fetish, and Orihime is the not-so-unfortunate target? Some very un-Chad-like behavior! Naughty, but not? Only my second fanfic, so honest criticism please my lovelies :
1. Big, Happy Kitty

A little OC, but don't we all act a bit OC in certain situations? Naughty, but not? You tell me.

I tried to be as general with the story as possible so that I wouldn't spoil any major plots in the manga/anime.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any Bleach characters…but if Tite Kubo would just give in and marry me already, I might get a share of the empire.

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FRIENDLY FETISH

It was rare chance moments when anyone would view the top of Chad Yasutora's head. Perhaps when seeing him pass under a window, or when he bowed deeply in respect (or to hide a blush), or even during yet another rare moment when he was knocked down during a battle.

Any time Orihime Inoue caught this rare glimpse, a marching parade of very random thoughts would run through her mind: 'Since Chad-kun is so big, would they consider his head having its own zipcode?'; 'I know my bean and peanut butter paste would do wonders for his scalp'; 'All that hair must be hot. He should shave it like Napolean Dynamite's friend did'; and so on.

Yet again, Orihime found herself getting a bird's eye-view of her towering friend's mane. However, this time her thoughts moved at the speed of molasses, bringing the gears of her mind to a screeching halt. Her mouth known for spewing rapid-fire randomness was agape in shock, while her heart took on the job of imitating speeds that would shame a Ferrari. All she could do was stare down wide-eyed at the thick, soft mop of dark brown hair gracing a majestic head and framing a chiseled face…

…A face which was currently nuzzling her soft flesh like it was super-sized catnip, and he was the very big, very happy kitty it was bought for.

Even if she wanted to, Orihime couldn't explain what had happened to get her into this especially unusual predicament. Just as she was getting ready to come to her senses, all functions fizzled into nothing when she felt the wet, warmth of Chad's tongue…


	2. Howdy, Neighbor

CHapter 2: Howdy, Neighbor

_~Earlier That Day~_

It was an especially early Saturday morning when the sound of thumps and soft shuffles invaded Chad's dreams. He turned away from the light glaring through his window with a groan, wishing away the continuing sounds coming from the apartment next door.

'Apartment next door?' Chad groggily thought as he covered his face with a pillow. 'Isn't it vaca— '

CRASH!!!

Chad shot up into a sitting position, his broad chest heaving from the sudden ruckus from next door. Hearing the distressed exclamations through the wall, Chad hoisted himself out of bed, threw on shorts and a tank, and flew out the door, where he promptly bumped into-

"I-Inoue?!"

"Oh, good morning Chad-kun! What are you doing up so early?" exclaimed the busty, orange-haired girl as she rubbed at where her forehead collided with his stomache.

Chad looked over at the open door of the other apartment with concern.

"I heard a loud crash and voices in that apartment. I thought perhaps someone was hurt," then looking at her curiously he said, "Pardon Orihime, but what are you doing here?"

Orihime's eyes bulged as she waved her arms frantically and said, "Um, eh, oh no-nothing at all! Well, sort of something, like…JOGGING! Yeah, I was just in the neighborhood taking a little jog, and thought I'd run up your building's stairs. You have great stairs for working thigh muscles. Don't worry about the noise next door, I'm just fine, er, I mean, I'm sure the person is just fine. Or else I would be out here screaming bloody murder, er, they would be…okay, bye!"

Orihime hoped that considering how early it was and that he'd still be reeling from the confusion of the commotion, Chad would shrug , escort her down his stairs, then head back to his place to crash. But as she turned on her heel to leave, Chad's deep voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Orihime. What's going on in there?"

She turned around and sighed in defeat, "I'm- well, you see-it's like—*sigh* remember when I said I was moving out of my old place to somewhere closer to the university, but anything even 10 minutes away from campus was like renting a house, and I was almost planning to camp out on one of the lawns, but fall is so close, then I saw people moving out of the apartment next to yours, and figured they were the closest thing I could afford, and I'd be near a friend, and so...," She stopped to take a deep breathe.

As Chad slowly nodded, she sheepishly grinned at him and said, "Hello, neighbor."

Though covered by his wild, sweeping hair, Orihime knew they had widened by a fraction in surprise. As silence settled between them, she stilled herself for the barrage of questions.

"Oh. I see."

*Sweat drop* 'Obviously,' Orihime thought, 'I forgot who I was talking to.'

"Hee hee, yeah," she said biting on her bottom lip, "I hope you're not upset, Chad-san. I wanted it to be a surprise, and thought I'd start moving stuff in early so I could invite you over once you got up. Like a backwards surprise party, you know?"

She looked away, blushing and said, "Instead I messed up your morning with all the noise. I'm sorry, Chad."

Seeing how disappointed Orihime was in her ruined plan, Chad instinctively placed a soothing hand on her head. She looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Don't be upset, Orihime. Thank you for trying to make the move special," Chad said, a warm smile spreading across his face. Hesitantly, he touched her cheek.

Another flush blazed across Orihime's face when she felt the warmth of his large hand and saw the gentle glint of his brown eyes through his hair, making her heart skip. It was doing that a lot lately. She and Chad had been spending a great deal of time together since Ichigo and Ishida starting living at the University on the outskirts of town, Tatsuki was on a year-long martial arts championship tour, and most of their other highschool friends had scattered as well. Orihime had gone had gone through so much with Chad, but she had never really started to connect with him until then. And as she got to know him and he opened up to her, she couldn't help but feel drawn to him with a tinge of something beyond friendship. She would stop in the middle of a sentence when he placed his chocolate gaze upon her. His gentle words and light, supportive touches never ceased to make her heart melt. And the fact that Chad was built like something out of Greek mythology didn't help her stop imagining wrapping her limbs around his broad frame as he did things to her that she had only read about in steamy romance novels.

"U-um, I better get back to unpacking if I want to be done by afternoon," Orihime said, snapping them out of their trance. Chad withdrew his hand, leaving them both missing the light contact.

"I will help you, Orihime," Chad said, making his way towards her new apartment.

"Oh no! Please Chad, I've already ruined your morning. I even told the others to come later so I wouldn't bother them so early. I'll fin-"

Orihime's protests died away as Chad walked through her door. She followed, just to find him standing amongst the overflowing boxes of her things with a very nervous look on his face. He slowly turned to her with a stony face.

"I would rather fight 100 Hollows," Chad said seriously.

Orihime's face dropped with shock. Then catching a small grin on his face, she doubled over laughing.

"And he makes jokes, too," she giggled, wiping away a tear, "How about we get that funny bone to work, then?"

Deliberately grabbing his strong bicep, Orihime pulled Chad over to an especially ominous skyscraper of boxes and immediately dug in. As Chad hoisted up an especially heavy box of kitchen supplies, he glanced down at Orihime as she busily worked. 'Not exactly how I'd spend my Saturday morning,' he thought, 'but exactly who I'd spend it with…'

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*I know this chapter was not awesome and a bit fluffy, but I'm trying to set up the stage. Ch.3 tomorrow and should be a bit more entertaining ^_o

Enjoy!


	3. Ooooh, Shiny

Chapter 3: Oooh, Shiny…

As the late Summer morning flowed into the afternoon, boxes which were once filled with possessions were gradually emptied, flattened, and laid to rest outside the door of Orihime's new home.

Wiping the sweat off her forehead, Orihime pulled out a decorative ceiling light shade from the 'Living/Dining Room' box. At the same time, Chad strolled in with a ladder tucked under one muscular arm.

"Thanks for finding a ladder so soon, Chad," Orihime said, smiling at the elegant light shade, "I really wanted to get this up before we called it a day."

Placing the ladder under the light fixture, Chad looked around at how quickly her new place was coming together. 'I don't know how Orihime thought she could get this done by afternoon all alone,' he thought shaking his head, 'but Orihime is Orihime'. He looked over at the petite woman in front of him, staring at how the light caught on the lamp shade made dazzling shapes dance over her lovely face. Feeling his gaze on her, Orihime put a hand to her face.

"What is it? Did I get dirt on me again?" she asked, wiping at her cheek.

"No," Chad said quietly, "It's just amazing what you can do when you're motivated, Inoue."

"Hee hee, yes, well," Orihime said, blushing slightly, "when I have great people supporting me, it's not that hard."

She lightly squeezed his elbow to emphasize her statement as she moved around him to make her way up the ladder. Chad gripped the ladder steady as she went up, reveling in the slight tingle her small fingers left on his skin.

Long ago Chad had admitted to himself that his feelings for his small, curvaceous companion had taken a romantic turn. Unlike most of the guys from his graduating class who drooled over Orihime's exceptional 'blessings', it was what was beyond the flesh that made her stand out. She smiled even when her heart was breaking, was courageous even when cloaked in fear, and loyal past comprehension. Though Chad had always been aware of these wonderful traits, it was when they began to actively seek out the other's company outside campus (and the occasional world-saving battle) that he saw her with new eyes. Orihime's open kindness and free-spirited silliness pulled Chad out of his usually stoic shell, which he'd never thought possible. His large heart would swell when he could make her smile and laugh, or when her sparkling eyes were glued to him the few times he felt like having a full-blown conversation. Letting his eyes quickly glance over Orihime's modestly covered curves, Chad also had to admit he enjoyed what was becoming increasingly frequent 'buddy snuggles' after all-night study sessions.

"Oh pastries!" exclaimed Orihime, snapping Chad to attention.

"I could do that for you, if you'd like," Chad suggested as Orihime continued to struggle with putting up the ceiling fixture, "You already did so much getting everything here."

"Aw, it's alright," she replied, biting her lip with the effort, "I should be the one to put this up. I bought it with my brother when we moved into my old apartment, so it just feels right to do it myself."

Aargh!" she hissed, coming down the ladder with the light shade, "I think we'll need to nail an attachment up *sigh* and this silly hoodie is getting in my way."

Before Chad could reiterate his suggestion to help with the fixture, he was stopped cold when Orihime flung off her hoodie, revealing a figure-squeezing, belly showing white tank top which battled to keep her plentiful chest in check. But it wasn't just this fabulous display of curves that made Chad death-grip the ladder until it creaked under the pressure.

"O-Ori-Orihime, when did you---?" Chad swallowed audibly as he stared almost longingly.

"Huh? When did I what?" she asked. Seeing Chad's wide-eyed stare, she followed his gaze to her smooth, flat stomach.

"Oh! This?"

Slightly lifting the tank top, Orihime ran her fingers over what she considered her best decision since replacing ketchup for salsa in her custard…

…Her belly-button piercing.

The top sphere was a simple, yet brilliant sterling silver. The small ornamental jewel which delicately sat within the nest of her perforated belly button was a 6-petaled flower made of ice-blue crystal, obviously picked to match her hairpins.

Orihime smiled widely at it like a proud mother, but her smile disappeared when she saw Chad's shocked stare.

"U-um, it's a long story. Er, not really," she said, bashfully rubbing the back of her head, "Tatsuki and I went to get it done before she left for her tour. We'd talked about getting piercings after high school, but never got around to it until they announced she was picked for the team."

"Y-you don't like it, do you? I mean I know it's a little extreme, but—Chad, are you alright?"

Hearing her concerned voice, Chad quickly snapped his eyes back to her face.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," he breathed, wiping the sweat off his forehead, "It's just a little hotter than usual today."

"It can't be that hot, the sun is practically gone. Are you sure Chad? Maybe we should stop for today. I can always put up the light shade tomorrow," Orihime said, reaching out to feel his forehead for a fever.

Seeing her reach for him, Chad backed away towards the door like she would set him on fire.

"NO!" he involuntarily hollered, "I mean, no, it's okay. I p-promised to help, and I-I will. L-let me just see if I have a hammer and nails."

Before Orihime could say anything, Chad was out the door, leaving her hand hanging in mid-air. Her hand slowly dropped, with her heart following suit.

'He must really, really hate it,' she thought sadly as she stroked at the small jewel, 'He's so gentle and serious, I guess it makes sense why he might find girls with body piercings a little over-the-top. I think I screwed up…'

Rubbing her head and huffing in frustration, Orihime decided to go back up the ladder to try the ceiling fixture by herself, pretty sure that Chad wouldn't be coming back anytime soon.

Meanwhile, Chad was leaning against his side of the wall dividing their apartments, trying to control his breathing and will away the ever-growing heat flashing through his body.

"A belly piercing," Chad murmured, "Of all things, it had to be a belly piercing."

'And of all the people, it had to be on Orihime…' he thought, allowing the back of his head to connect audibly with the wall to jar images of her ordained skin out of his skull.

Chad knew his reaction left Orihime thinking that he found the piercing apalling. But on the contrary, he liked her belly piercing. He LOVED her belly piercing. ALL belly piercings, to be specific.

Then again, why wouldn't he? Wasn't that the idea of a secret fetish? To be engulfed to a point not considered normal if images of soft, jeweled bodies left him waking up gasping for breath, drenched in sweat with a boner so serious that Google Maps would confuse it with the Eiffel Tower. For reasons Chad couldn't quite explain, he saw a woman's belly button as the tiniest of previews of what could be discovered further below. But there was something about an ornately decorated mid-section that was like a sexy road-sign screaming 'Southward Bound.' And for more unexplainable reasons, that sent his usually dormant sex drive sky-rocketing.

Chad slid down to a sitting position, and put his large head in his hands. He couldn't dare go back into Orihime's apartment if he was going to end up salivating all over her because of her piercing. If he had not escaped her reaching hand, it would have been all over for him. The thought of down-grading his smart, caring, beautiful friend to a mere sexual object sickened Chad to no end. Perhaps he would call her mobile phone and tell her he wasn't feeling so well after all, maybe tomorrow would be—

"Aargh! Come on you silly screw!"

The muffled holler of Orihime through the wall told him she was trying to work out the light again by herself. Suddenly, he was rocked with guilt and shame. Here he was, the tall, powerful Chad Yasutora, who was always ready to come to anyone's aid despite obvious danger, couldn't do it now because his pathetic hormones were put into hyper-drive over some fancy body-bling. How ashamed his Grandfather would be of him.

Pounding a fist into the floor, Chad shot up off the floor and strolled over to his closet. Pulling out his toolbox, he turned on his heel and quickly made his way next door. With a final long breathe he entered her apartment, to find her up the ladder attempting to remove screws from the protective socket plate. His initial nervousness was replaced by concern as he watched her teeter back and forth on the ladder.

"Orihime, I don't think that's a good idea," Chad warned.

With a surprised squeak from hearing the deep rumblings of Chad's voice, Orihime swung her head around to look at him. The sudden movement caused the ladder to wobble, lean onto two legs, then one. And as Chad watched in horror, the ladder pitched forward, taking Orihime along for what looked to be a short painful ride…

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*Sorry this chapter showed up a little late. Something about Mondays that get you too busy for anything else. So as to not give anyone false hope, I'm going to say the next chapter will be up in a couple days.

Now that you've discovered Chad's slightly strange delight, Ch. 4 should promise some…well, keep reading and find out, yes?*

Cheers! FQ


	4. Taste

Chapter 4: Taste

"Aargh! Come on you silly screw!"

Orihime wrenched the screwdriver again, trying to get an exceptionally stubborn screw out of the socket plate. With a defeated huff, she brought her aching arm down to her side.

'I'm definitely not going to get this done by dusk on my own,' Orihime thought hopelessly. She looked back at the empty doorway that Chad had disappeared through twenty minutes earlier.

*sigh* 'But, I guess that's how it's going to be, huh?' she thought bitterly, her anger rising.

Tightening her grip on the screwdriver in irritation, Orihime began mumbling under her breathe as she went back for Round 2 against the socket plate.

"Well, if that's how it is, I don't care. I know a piercing might be a big leap for me, but it's not some huge taboo."

Orihime pulled at the loosening screw, unaware of how it caused the ladder to wobble.

"I mean, go ahead and be uptight about it, but you just run out an ditch me when I need your help? Help YOU offered?"

Another forceful yank and the ladder scooted half a centimeter.

"Just because I got some body jewelry, doesn't mean I'm going to join a biker gang, or try to sleep with half the university, or-"

"Orihime, I don't think that's a good idea."

Unaware of his entrance through her growing annoyance, she 'eeped' and turned at the sudden sound of Chad's voice. Relief swept over her face at seeing who it was, but it was quickly replaced by horror when she felt the ladder lean onto its two front legs, then one. Her large frightened hazel gaze caught the mirror reflection of the same emotion in Chad's eyes as she felt gravity drag her towards the floor.

"ORIHIME!"

Everything felt like slow motion as Chad dropped his toolbox with a clatter. Orihime reached up instinctively, catching a ceiling beam with the tips of two fingers. Unfortunately, they both saw the ladder was already on its way down and without its support she would follow despite the beam.

'I'm not going to make it,' Orihime thought, squeezing her eyes in preparation for the downward rush and inevitable impact…

Which never came.

After what seemed forever, Orihime opened one eye, then the other. She looked up to find her two fingers still gripping the beam and felt the ladder under her feet, though still wobbly. She flexed her other hand, just to feel the warm, solid mass she was gripping tighten in response. Finally she looked down into two brown eyes full of concern.

"Are you alright?" Chad asked breathlessly, watching Orihime's eyes for any sign of discomfort or injury.

His massive hands were wrapped around her small waist, his biceps slightly flexed as he held Orihime perfectly at the almost 45 degree angle he had caught her in. The ladder rested on his powerful chest in the same position. Slowly, he lifted Orihime back into a standing position on the ladder, maintaining his firm hold on her waist.

"Y-yea. I'm okay," Orihime said shakily, still holding onto his shoulder.

Chad breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want to think of what would have happened if he had been only a half second late. But, relief soon gave way to guilt.

"I'm so sorry, Orihime," he apologized quietly, his hair shielding his eyes.

"If I hadn't taken so long to come back, you wouldn't... I want to explain, but I couldn't forgive myself if you--"

Suddenly, he felt small, delicate hands encircle his neck and pull him close into an awkward, but comforting, cheek-to-stomach hug. At first surprised, Chad relaxed into the soft warmth of her skin, feeling his doubts ebb away with every thump of Orihime's heart. Slowly, he moved his hands to the small of her back to deepen the embrace.

"It's okay, Chad," she said sweetly, " I'm just glad that you're here at all."

Chad smiled, his big heart exploding with the honor of having such a caring and forgiving friend. But all platonic feelings flew out of the window when he felt the tinge of cold metal on his cheek. Hesitantly, he lightly rubbed his cheek into her stomach, enjoying how the chilled sphere rolled against his skin. Slowly turning his head, Chad allowed his other cheek to revel in the prickly smoothness of the piercing. He wanted so desperately to stop these ministrations of flesh, but he couldn't pull himself away from how wonderful it felt.

"C-Chad?" Orihime asked breathlessly, clutching his shoulders.

Orihime watched as Chad slowly drew his face away from her mid-section, leaving an almost empty cold in its place. However, he didn't look up at her. This embrace had been a lot more intimate than any they had shared, but it couldn't explain why Chad was practically snuggling into her stomach. She began to release her hold on Chad's shoulders, but his firm, but soft, grip on her never let up. In fact, she felt him tense up and freeze, his face inches away from her belly button.

"Chad? Are you alright?" Orihime asked concerned, half for Chad and half for herself.

Hesitantly, she reached down to sweep away the locks of hair covering his eyes, causing him to look up at her. His usually soft, alert eyes were glazed over with a sleepy sensuality that made her heart stick in her throat.

"I'm sorry for this, Orihime," Chad said, his deep voice thick with pent-up longing.

Orihime's mouth was agape in shock as Chad pulled her stomach towards his face to assault her flesh with renewed energy. Her eyes fluttered open and shut as the vigorous rubs transformed into small, butterfly kisses concentrated around her belly button, leaving goose-bumps all over. Her eyes re-focused when she felt Chad pause, allowing his warm breathe to sweep across her flat stomach in gradually slowing gasps. Her brain felt like an ancient car engine as it attempted to turn back on, hoping it would be enough to bring her to full attention so she could stop this exquisite madness. But the electricity of Chad thrusting his large, warm tongue into her belly button prevented her from uttering a syllable of resistance.

Chad gripped Orihime's middle as he felt her body tense and her knees begin to give way. He softened his hold as she regained her legs, placing her hands on his shoulders for balance. He delicately licked and sucked on the small silver sphere, enjoying the sharp taste of the metal. His tongue grazed over the rounded edges of her crystal flower, then under as it dipped in to ravage her belly button. Orihime sighed deeply as Chad's massive, calloused hands massaged her back and squeezed the soft flesh of her waist. Allowing herself to drown in the pleasure Chad drew from her body, she began to run her fingers through the thick, brown sea of his hair.

The tingling sensation of her small, delicate fingers made Chad growl deep in his throat causing a whimpering moan to rise out of Orihime with the vibration. Every moral bone in Chad's body which screamed for him to stop was quickly replaced by a not-so-moral bone as she writhed against him, spiking his instinctive need to please her body.

"Chad," Orihime moaned, fisting handfuls of his wild locks in her hands.

And despite both their better judgment, Chad knew that she would let him. Chad tugged lightly at the top of Orihime's shorts and trailed kisses down her smooth abs to her upper hip. Orihime let her small hands slide under the neckline of his tank, reveling in the smooth tension of his neck and shoulder muscles as she sighed his name.

"Chad…Ch-Chad---"

"CHAD!!"

"AAAHHH!" Orihime screamed, grabbing an equally startled Chad in fear from the booming voice at the door.

"T-T-Ta-Tatsuki?! Wha?- You?-Home?," Orihime blurted as she saw the silhouette of her best friend in the doorway. But surprise turned to horror when they saw Tatsuki take her well-known attack stance.

Feeling the ominous air surrounding Tatsuki, Chad slowly backed away from Orihime.

"Tatsuki-san, it's not as it seems," Chad said, his hands up in surrender.

"Grrrr-YASUTORA! YOU PERVERT!!" Tatsuki hollered, bowling towards him at break-neck speed.

Chad could have easily side-stepped Tatsuki's expected kick to his head, then blocked the back-handed punch that would most likely follow, and maybe flash through the door to his apartment to wait out the storm. But he brought his hands down to his sides and stood steady to take the attack. He looked at Orihime, knowing that what he had allowed himself to do to her merited a lot more than what Tatsuki was about to dish out.

The last thing Chad saw before he was dropped by Tatsuki's championship winning round-house kick was Orihime's big, beautiful eyes wide in horror…then the floor…

"Orihime. Forgive me."

Then nothing.

I apologize vehemently for not updating this as soon as I could. A lot of things got in the way this past week, and it's been madness!

But the final chapter is going to be up by Saturday evening, I promise. And if not, I'll post my address and all of you can come out and thoroughly whoop my behind!

Cheers, FQ


	5. Forgive and Forget

Chapter 5: Forgive and Forgot

After a long, exhausting day of searing heat, evening finally brought a comforting coolness to Kurakara town. A tall, dark figure leaned out of a window, watching the summer sun insist on leaving the town to the night with burning kisses of dusk. Large, brown eyes lost themselves in the stars glinting across the dark blanket of twilight, closing with every light breeze that caressed dark caramel skin. All was sweet silence, only broken every now and then by the soothing sounds of crickets, the light rustling of trees---

"WHAT IN BLUE F***ING BLAZES WAS HIS DAMN TONGUE DOING IN YOUR BELLY BUTTON?!"

…and Tatsuki cursing up a lightning storm next door.

Chad groaned, willing away the headache threatening to split him open. He winced lightly when he touched the icepack to his swollen cheek, which still burned from Tatsuki's explosive kick, as well as from embarrassment.

Chad couldn't quite remember what had occurred after he had hit the floor. His ribs ached a bit, so he definitely didn't imagine the kicks to his side. Then there were the girls' muffled voices arguing back and forth above him before unconsciousness took him again. He then found himself propped up against his apartment door, probably dumped there by Tatsuki during her rampage. As the dark-haired firecracker made threats towards his life on her angry way back into Orihime's, Chad groggily dragged himself into his own apartment.

Recalling the havoc, his headache ebbed back into life. Chad shuffled over to sit at his low dining table so the Tylenol could work its magic. After staring at the table for about one minute and 19 seconds, he proceeded to bang his skull on it.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Chad chanted with every resounding thunk.

'How could I just lose control?' He thought, moving the icepack to his temple. All his worst fears had come to be. It had been going so well with Orihime before this madness. He could feel they were gradually growing closer, seeing them build into something more with a solid, trusting friendship as the foundation. Then it was all torn down because he couldn't stop from slobbering all on her like a dog gnawing at a t-bone steak. A devastated grown and another thud as his head connected with the table.

*Knock Knock*

'Back for another run at the punching bag, huh?' Chad thought grimly, waiting for Tatsuki to crash through his door like a one-woman SWAT team.

"Chad? It's Orihime."

He hesitated, thinking that if he stayed quiet she would go back to her place. But he rejected that idea, feeling it a cowardly way to deal with the situation. Chad was ready for whatever awaited behind the door. He made his way to it, hearing heated whispers as he got closer. He opened the door to find Orihime forcing Tatsuki's retractable nightstick back into her pocket before quickly turning her attention to him.

"H-hi, Chad," Orihime stuttered, "Can I come in?"

Chad slowly nodded yes, moving aside to allow her inside. Orihime quickly made her way in, giving Tatsuki's arm a light squeeze to assure her that everything was fine. Tatsuki grudgingly backed away from the door with malice glinting in her eyes.

"You better keep your hands to yourself, Yasutora," Tatsuki growled, pointing two fingers at her eyes then towards him in the classic 'I'm watching you' warning. A lesser man would have cringed in fear, but Chad merely bowed at Tatsuki in respect and closed the door behind Orihime.

Chad followed Orihime to the table where they sat down to the first uncomfortable silence they had experienced together. Chad stared down at the table, his wild hair covering eyes filled with shame. Orihime looked down at her small hands which twiddled and twisted as her nervousness grew. The quiet stretched for eternity, fueling the building tension in the room until it finally choked a sound out of one of the silent occupants.

"So," Orihime started, but was stopped by the sudden movement beside her.

Snapping her head to look at Chad, Orihime found herself looking at empty space where a hulking body should have been. Averting her eyes downwards, they widened to see the usually powerful, grandiose form of her large friend kneeling low to the floor, his head resting on his down-turned hands.

"Orihime, I am so sorry for what I did. To have assaulted you like that when you should be treated with respect and dignity, instead of losing control because of…of," Chad gulped audibly, unable to say the 'B' word lest it conjure up unwanted images. But it didn't stop the words to come.

"I care for you, Orihime. Beyond being your comrade, beyond friendship. You have become the most precious thing to me," Chad continued, clenching his fists.

"But I've done wrong by you and I don't deserve your forgiveness."

Silence filled the room once again as Orihime watched the mass of brown waves covering Chad's head for the second time that day. Did he say what she thought he had said? 'Beyond friendship'? 'Precious?' The insanity of the day blew out of her mind as the meaning of his words hit her. She bit her lip, unsure of what to do next. Taking a deep breath, she made her decision.

"Chad," Orihime whispered, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"I would have never thought in a million years that you would ever, ever do that to me. It was brash, unexpected, even bordering on crazy."

Chad cringed, knowing the worst was yet to come.

"I mean, belly-button piercings? Is there even a word for that type of...whatever it is? And if I had known an obsession like that would have made you practically jump me…"

Orihime cupped his chiseled face in her hands, gently lifting it up to sweep aside his bangs. Then she leaned in close to his ear, her light breathe tickling his lobe.

"I would have shown you my piercing a lot sooner."

Chad froze in place, not quite sure if what he had heard was the affect of a concussion or wishful thinking. He slowly pulled away to look at Orihime, who had an impish grin on her face.

"O-Orihime," Chad choked out, stopped by a cold sting as Orihime placed the icepack to his cheek.

"Forget it, Chad. Don't be so hard on yourself," Orihime said, dabbing at his face lightly, "Besides. How could I not forgive the one most precious to me?"

Chad felt the air stick in his lungs, almost unbelieving of what he had just heard. He finally let it out in a long gust, letting the stress slide away from him along with it. He ran his fingers through his hair, giving Orihime a breath-taking view of his delicious brown orbs swirling with so much emotion it left her speechless. Seeing her stare, Chad looked away abruptly, his eyes once again shadowed.

"Thank you, Orihime," then with a blush surging over his face, "Though I wouldn't call feeding a fetish the most effective way of getting feelings across."

Orihime giggled, a slight redness coming to her face as well.

"Well," she said, "I think that depends on the feelings, the person, and--"

The pause made Chad look at her, to find a dreamy faraway look in her eyes.

"And?" He asked patiently.

"The fetish," Orihime breathed, hesitantly reaching over to touch Chad's collar bone.

Chad froze as her hand trailed down to his shoulder, where he was able to watch her caress his rose tattoo. She bit her lip, the dreamy look turning into a smoldering gaze that seemed to bore holes into his arm. She sat forward onto her knees, placing her free hand onto Chad's shoulder for balance. Her hair fell across his chest as she began to kiss and gingerly nip at the tattoo, completely lost in the beauty of the inky design against his chocolate skin.

"Tattoos?" Chad asked breathlessly, letting a hand move to her flat abs to caress the jewel sitting in the center.

Orihime kissed the rose one last time, before putting her arms around Chad's shoulders.

"Only on the right person," she said seductively before Chad's lips caught hers in a sensually gentle kiss.

Orihime scooted up into Chad's lap, causing soft curves and taught muscles to clash into a tangled heap on the floor. Chad licked at Orihime's bottom lip, causing her to shyly comply by rolling her tongue against his. His calloused hands gently massaged along her hips and thighs, while her hands made their way underneath his shirt, her fingers running over the solidness of his abs. Orihime moaned as Chad landed kisses on her neck, causing her to slightly dig her nails into his rose. The feeling of the sleek, sterling silver metal of her piercing against his bare skin pulled a rumbling groan out of him as well. So strong and burning was the passion between them that only the promise of an otherworldly invasion would stop them from their almost desperate need to release their pent-up desires.

"He did WHAT?!"

Orihime and Chad paused their heated embrace when they heard the two familiar voices outside of Chad's apartment.

"Was that…Ichigo and Ishida?" Chad asked quietly.

Orihime huffed and laid her head on Chad's shoulder.

"Oh, Tatsuki. She must have told them everything the second they came up the stairs."

"Chad! Orihime! Are you in there? Open up, we gotta talk!" Ichigo hollered as he banged on the door.

"I'm quite surprised. I would have never thought of you two," Ishida muffled comment came through.

"You've been in there too long, Orihime! You better not be up to anything, Yasutora!" Tatsuki warned.

"What do we do?" Orihime whined.

Chad thought for a second then looked at Orihime.

"Do you still have the key to your old apartment?"

"Um, yeah. I have it until Monday since I still need to move the bed, but I don't see why…Ooooh," Orihime said, seeing the deliciously rare dimpled smile that spread across his face.

Quickly getting to their feet, Orihime ran to Chad's bed and grabbed his blanket and pillows while Chad pulled a couple drinks from the fridge before finally making their escape. A split second later the door swung practically off its hinges as Ichigo, Ishida, and Tatsuki burst through.

"Where'd they go?" Tatsuki questioned, as she and Ichigo zipped through the apartment looking in every possible hiding spot for them.

Ishida leaned against the wall, watching their madness with vague interest. Then he happened to glance over at the wide open window that led out onto the fire-escape, a random pillow out of place underneath it. He adjusted his glasses and grinned, sure in knowing the new lovers were running towards something that wasn't about feeding the needs of the flesh, but the needs of the heart.

END

*Oh man, remind me to stick to one-hits. This full-blown story stuff is exhausting. Big up to all those hard-core fanfic authors.

Thank you all for being so patient and reading this fanfic. It was only my second one, and I hope you enjoyed.

Thanks again, and I look forward to writing another fanfic soon, and reading all of yours as well! ^_^

Cheers! FQ


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